New Louis Masai Mural For Synchronicity Earth In Shoreditch

Through the duration of last week, environmentally focused Street Artist Louis Masai spent some seven days, concluding on Thursday evening, painting this stunning large mural in the back of the Rich Mix complex and viewable in Redchurch Street. The work depicted upon completion a thriving Coral Reef ecosystem. The piece was created for Synchronicity Earth and whats most interesting about this project isn’t just the stunning mural that we can now see, but the way it was constructed.

The idea was to essentially paint a film, that will be set alongside soundscapes from Coral environments, so the goal was never to just paint the finished piece, it was to start from the beginning of the evolution of an entire ecosystem, with the scene evolving and with elements coming and going, leaving Louis Masai using this wall to create a series of scenes depicting the stages in the growth of the Coral Reef environment.

So the scene started with Louis Masai painting dead Corals set to the formation of the globes continents and then he set to begin bringing the piece to life. This entailed next adding some living coral, bringing colour and life to his work. The next stage was the addition of the Coral’s reproducing, as they are animals and not plants as is commonly assumed, depicted with the release of many phosphorescent toned sperm and eggs. This in turn led to new corals being born and then the additions of the various animals which live amid the Coral Reefs. Never have we been able to say a piece has taken on a life of its own as much as with this piece. Over the last few days of the painting, Louis Masai was taking suggestions on social media for which creatures people wanted to see added to this evolving tapestry.

So over the week Louis Masai not only painted this incredible mural that really has to be seen to be believed, the images here really don’t do the beauty of this work justice, but he essentially told and painted a story, we very much look forward to seeing the film of this project when it is completed.

We have long been fans of Louis Masai’s Street Art and have reported on the vast majority of works he has placed up in London this year (covered here), but he has really outdone himself on this work, as far as we are concerned. This wall is mesmerizing, if you get the chance to see it, you won’t know where to focus you eye on in this piece, there is just so much to take in, a real intricate and beautiful vibrant work, a real pleasure to see come to life through the progressive manner in which it was created.

The mural or tableux was a part of the project ‘Rubble To Reef’,which sets to bring together, conservationists, film makers, scientists, artists, musicians, ocean advocates and reef communities in order to raise public awareness and a network for change, as by 2030, 90% of the planets Coral Reef ecosystems will be threatened, potentially losing an incredibly diverse array of marine life from the tiny to the largest of creatures, as depicted in Louis Masai’s work.

Work early on during Day Two, in which the dead coral, globe formation is starting to come to life, ready to reproduce.

Work on Day Two.

Work on Day Two.

Work on Day Two.

Work-in-progress on Day Three, showing the Coral formations coming to life, with an image very kindly provided by M_Frenchi (@M_FRENCHI on Instagram.)

Louis Masai at work on Day Five, incredible to see how much the piece had come to life in just three days, with still many additions to follow over the next three days.

Louis Masai at work on Day Five, adding an alpha-predator of this ecosystem the Black Tip Reef Shark.

Louis Masai at work on Day Five.

Louis Masai at work on Day Five.

Louis Masai at work on Day Five.

Louis Masai at work early on Day Seven, adding the final elements to this scene.

Adding the final additions to the piece on Day Seven.

Louis Masai adding the final additions to this epic weeks work.

Louis Masai aloft his platform of the preceding week, in front of the final incarnation of this exquisite project.

The superb finished work.

A subspecies of Parrot Fish which eat rock to get the corals, making them a major cause of bioerosion. They then excrete sand, which creates mini islands in the reefs, which may last a day or go on to provide the basis to form a whole new ecosystem of life above water, offering a great example of biodiversity.

The Sea Turtle, one of the last additions to this evolving scene and one of our favourite parts of a piece almost overwhelmed with focus points.

The Octopus, one of the additions to the scene during the penultimate days painting.

Detail of the Moray Eel.

What a beautiful addition to the scenery along Redchurch Street, and all for such a worthy cause.

We would like to thank Louis Masai and the team at Synchronicity Earth for explaining this incredible project and providing some insight to some of the individual elements comprising the scene. Additional thanks to M_Frenchi for the progress picture. We would also like to say thanks to Rich Mix for letting us through to the wall off and on all week to take photos.

Be sure to head along to www.synchronicityearth.org to see the great work they are doing for the environment and to be able to see the film of Louis Masai’s work when it becomes available.